(GDAC/Atlanta, GA/Nov. 8, 2023) — U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary (USDA) Tom Vilsack has issued a disaster declaration for 27 Georgia counties due to damage and losses caused by Hurricane Idalia on August 30, 2023. This declaration allows farmers, producers, and other eligible agricultural operations to apply for emergency disaster relief through the Farm Service Agency. “Hurricane Idalia caused significant …
Ag Commissioner Applauds Florida Legislature for Prioritizing Hurricane Idalia Recovery Efforts for Agriculture
(FDACS/TALLAHASSEE, FL/Nov. 8, 2023) — Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson applauded the efforts of the Florida Legislature following the conclusion of a special session that prioritized Hurricane Idalia recovery relief for Florida’s agriculture industry: “Florida’s agriculture industry sustained widespread damage from Hurricane Idalia, with an estimated loss of over $447 million in crops, livestock, and infrastructure. Our state’s farmers, …
Lawmakers Discuss Farm Bill Extension
As the House is getting back to work after selecting a new speaker, there are growing calls for an extension for the farm bill. Ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee, David Scott (D-GA), called on fellow representatives to extend the 2018 Farm Bill by one year. “We stand united against any efforts to take food away from children’s families …
USDA Designates 11 Additional Alabama Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas
(ADAI/MONTGOMERY, AL/Oct. 31, 2023) – Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries Rick Pate announced that USDA Secretary Thomas J. Vilsack has designated eleven Alabama counties as primary natural disaster areas due to a recent drought. Additional counties were listed as contiguous disaster counties. “We recognize that the drought conditions have hit Alabama farmers hard and hope this disaster relief from USDA …
Feds Feed Families Program Milestone
The Feds Feed Families Program reaches a food donation milestone. Gary Crawford has that coming up in today’s This Land of Ours report. “I wanted to come down from my office today, first of all, to thank everybody who’s participating in the campaign for a job well done,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. The campaign is the Feds Feed Families …
Farmers Recovery Center Venue Relocated from Cross City to Fanning Springs
(USDA-FEMA-FL/Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2023) — On Wednesday, Oct. 11, from 9 a.m. to 3:00pm, a Farmers Recovery Center that was originally scheduled at the Dixie County Public Library at 16328 SE US-19 in Cross City will be relocated to the Suwannee River Fair Pavilion at 17851 NW 90th Ave, Fanning Springs. This is to accommodate a larger space due to …
Milk Loss Assistance Signup Ends October 16
Sign-up for a new USDA dairy program to assist producers who suffered economic loss due to a weather event will end on October 16th. Rod Bain has more details. Farm Service Agency (FSA) Acting Deputy Administrator John Berge has more information concerning how this new USDA dairy program pays producers. For more information contact FSA at your local USDA Service …
Search for Speaker Another Delay for Farm Bill
Another delay for the farm bill, as the House must now spend time electing another Speaker after the ousting of Representative Kevin McCarthy of California. During an address on student loan forgiveness, President Biden broached the subject of the former speaker and urged lawmakers to move forward quickly. “The House will now reorganize and select a new speaker. I know …
USDA Payments to Help Organic Dairy Producers
The USDA has announced a second round of payments for dairy producers through the Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program (ODMAP). The agency is providing an additional $5 million to help dairy producers mitigate market volatility, higher input and transportation costs, and unstable feed supply and prices that have created unique hardships in the organic dairy industry. The Farm Service Agency …
New Crop Insurance for Tropical Storms Benefits Producers Impacted by Idalia
(USDA-RMA/WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2023) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) recent expansion of its hurricane crop insurance policy to cover tropical storms this year has already provided farmers with $85.4 million to help them recover from Hurricane Idalia. USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) rolled out the new Tropical Storm Option for its Hurricane Insurance Protection-Wind Index (HIP-WI) Endorsement earlier this year …